Chapter 11

ELEVEN

TUESDAY 5TH DECEMBER

Florrie and Ed, together with Lark and Nate, were the last of their group still lingering at The Cellar. The others had been keen to take Bear up on his offer of a lift to their respective homes in the Land Rover, especially since the north easterly wind had upped the ante, adding a biting edge to the cold.

Florrie had been glad of the time to unwind after the hectic build-up to the unveiling of the windows and Jack's reading and, tired as she was, she wasn't in a rush to head off. There'd still be time to give Ed the little gift she'd got him when they got back home. Sitting beside him in the booth, she relaxed into him, his arm stretched out on the back of the bench behind her. He appeared to have put his odd reaction to Jack's proposed autobiography behind him, but it had loitered at the back of Florrie's mind, nudging her to follow it up. Despite that, she still managed to enjoy the rest of the evening, Lark and Nate being laid-back, easy company.

They'd been listening with interest as Nate described some of the fascinating items he'd encountered in his job upcycling and restoring furniture. He had a good eye and the ability to see potential in even the most dilapidated piece of furniture, sourcing new stock from a variety of places. On top of that, his prices were reasonable, ensuring turnover was quick. Thanks to this winning combination, his business was beginning to outgrow the little shop he occupied on Endeavour Street. Indeed, Florrie had sourced many of the items that furnished Samphire Cottage from Nate, including the vintage pine dresser in her kitchen and the small console table that sat below the window in the living room, not to mention a variety of bookshelves.

From the conversation that had followed once Florrie and Ed were relaxing in the kitchen at home, Nate had evidently set Ed's mind whirring.

Ed took a slow sip of his tea, before carefully setting his mug down on the kitchen table. The pair were looking shattered after their hectic day with the window reveal and Jack's reading. He glanced over at Florrie. ‘So, I've been thinking about the future of the bookshop.'

Uh-oh. Florrie's heart nose-dived all the way down to her fluffy slippers as her heart simultaneously lurched up to her throat. Disconcertingly, his response to Jack's autobiography flashed through her mind. ‘What do you mean?' She searched his face, hoping to find a clue in his expression, relieved so see a pair of happy eyes looking back at her. It clearly didn't involve anything horrendous, like handing it over to his parents or selling it to Dodgy Dick.

‘Well…' A smile was hitching up the corners of his mouth. ‘I've been thinking of a way around it for a while, but tonight's conversation with Nate provided what could be the perfect solution.'

‘The perfect solution to what?' She couldn't help but smile back as puzzled thoughts started capering around her mind.

‘So, you know he mentioned how he'd recently bought a staircase, the one that had been salvaged from Walker's at the bottom of the square?'

‘Yes,' she said slowly; she couldn't even begin to imagine where the heck this was going.

‘It got me thinking…' He grinned at her.

‘Thinking what?' Her heart lifted at the happiness shining in his eyes.

He took another slow sip of his tea.

‘Argh! This is torture! You've got to tell me! The suspense is too much,' Florrie said. Despite her protestations, she found herself giggling.

Ed laughed, his blue eyes crinkling in the way that made her heart flutter. ‘You know how you said your dream was to have a tearoom at the bookshop but didn't know how we could get it to work with the layout and space we've got?'

Oh my days! This is exciting! ‘Yes, but how come the conversation with Nate got you thinking about that?'

‘That's where the staircase comes in.'

‘Okay. I'm afraid you're going to have to elaborate on that. We can't have folk sipping tea on an old staircase, if that's what you're thinking.'

Ed threw his head back and let rip with a booming laugh, making Gerty jump up from her bed. ‘I promise you, that's not what I had planned.'

‘Thank goodness for that.'

When his laughter had subsided, he said, ‘Okay, hear me out on this, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it ever since Nate mentioned it, and if the staircase fits like I'm hoping it will, it could be the perfect solution.'

‘I'm all ears.' Florrie leant forward, resting her chin on her hands. This was wonderful news, and not just because it involved her tearoom dream – it meant Ed was still invested in the bookshop's future, and that made her happier than she could ever imagine. She'd wait until a more suitable moment to ask why Jack's biography had bothered him, not wanting to pour cold water over his plans.

‘So, you know how the flat above the bookshop is empty at the moment, and we were going to ask Bear to redecorate it for us before advertising for a new tenant?'

‘Yes.' She listened with interest as Ed went on to explain how talk of the staircase had given him the idea of converting the upstairs flat into a spacious, book-themed tearoom. He went on to say how they could use some of the other rooms for different events and even extend the bookshop upstairs, giving more space to the second-hand and collectable out-of-print books they had. He suggested they could also stock more book-themed accessories, particularly those that were popular with their younger clientele. Florrie couldn't argue with any of it; his ideas were utterly compelling.

‘Do you really think we could do it?'

‘Of course!' He nodded vigorously. ‘I wouldn't mention it if I didn't think it was possible. A couple who used to exhibit my work in London – Morwenna and Jay – did the self-same thing with their art gallery; they created a stylish coffee shop upstairs. It was a massive success, great for business. Said they wished they'd done it sooner. We could see if Alex would be happy to draw up the plans for the conversion and ask your dad if he'll do all the necessary building work – we'll pay them both, naturally. I don't expect freebies.' He looked at her, his expression bright with anticipation as he awaited her response.

It was great to see Ed so fired up. His enthusiasm was infectious, and Florrie could feel excitement bubbling up inside her. ‘Wow! That would be so fantastic! I'm sure my dad would be more than happy to do the work for us and he could maybe get Bear to help. An extra pair of hands would speed up the process and reduce the disruption. I daresay he'd squeeze us in, too.' Charlie Appleton ran his own small building company, with Paula dealing with the admin side of things. He'd taken care of the necessary building jobs when Florrie had bought Samphire Cottage, of which there were many. The property's knock-down price had reflected that it was a "doer-upper" and in need of a generous dose of TLC.

‘That sounds great. I know Bear's not a trained builder, but he can turn his hand to anything. He and Maggie did a fantastic job of renovating Clifftop Cottage.' As well as working at Thorncliffe Farm – which was owned by his parents, as was the land where his home with Maggie was situated – Bear was a much-in-demand local odd-job man.

‘They did. Dad and Bear sound like the perfect team, and we know from what Alex has done at Stella's apartment building, his designs are amazing.'

‘If you fancy, I could have a word with Nate in the morning. I'm sure he wouldn't mind us popping down to take a look at the staircase,' said Ed. ‘Then we could ask Alex to have a look, see where he thinks it would work best. Don't know about you, but I reckon at the back right-hand side of the shop. Should fit perfectly up against the wall there.'

The last time Florrie had seen Ed this animated was when he'd told her he wanted to be here in Micklewick Bay, with her, the two of them working at the bookshop. It had made Florrie's heart sing, and today it was having the same effect.

‘I mean, I know there's already the staircase to the flat at the back of the shop, but it's a poky, functional affair and tucked right out of the way. It's hardly inspiring. We could make a real feature of the one Nate's got. And the separate access from the exterior door at the front wouldn't work, but a feature staircase within the actual bookshop would be fantastic.' He paused, his eyes shining brightly as he searched Florrie's face. ‘What do you think?'

In the next moment, she jumped up and rushed over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and covering him in kisses. ‘I love it! I love it! I love it! It's such a wonderful idea! And it sounds perfect for the bookshop. Oh, my goodness, I really hope it'll fit!'

‘Shall I take that as a yes, then?' Ed said, laughing as she continued with her delivery of noisy kisses.

With the excitement of Ed's idea still sinking in, Florrie said, ‘Actually, don't move, I've just remembered something.'

‘You have?' Ed shot her a puzzled look.

‘Won't be a tick,' she called over her shoulder as she rushed off to retrieve her backpack from where she'd hooked it over the banister when they first got home.

‘I got you this,' she said, returning a couple of minutes later with a festive gift bag swinging on her finger.

‘Isn't it a bit early for Christmas presents?' Ed asked when she'd set it on the table in front of him.

‘This one's best opened before Christmas, so you've got plenty of time to enjoy it.' She grinned at him, slipping into her seat and nudging the gift bag closer to him. ‘I should warn you it's a bit fragile.'

‘Very cryptic.' He returned her smile as he reached beneath the tissue paper and carefully eased out the item beneath. ‘Oh, wow! It's a snow globe!' His smile grew wider as his gaze ran over the miniature woodland scene, a cosy-looking thatched cottage at the centre. He gave the globe a quick shake, chuckling delightedly as he watched the "snow" flurry around. ‘My first ever snow globe. I love it!'

‘I guessed you probably hadn't had one before,' she said, thrilled at his reaction. ‘It's just a bit of tat, but I thought it might be another contender for The Happy Christmas Memory Project.'

‘Oh, without a doubt it's going on the list! And it's not tat, it's fun! I'll keep it in my box of treasures and bring it out every Christmas.' He reached across the table, taking her hand and pressing his lips against it. ‘Thank you, Florrie.'

‘You're welcome. It's just a small gesture.'

‘The thought behind it is anything but.'